A long time ago, in the old days, when hens sang as roosters, a blackbird built a nest for itself, raised its chicks and taught them everything they needed to know.
Just as they were about to fly out of the nest, a fox crept up, grabbed them and carried them away.
Returning to his nest, the blackbird saw from afar that the fox was eating his chicks.
- That's how the fox played a joke on me! - said the blackbird. “But the dog from the farm has been lying in wait for him for a long time, so I’ll fly after it, let it help me take revenge.”
Thrush saw a dog from a farm and said:
- Avenge the fox for me - he ate my chicks.
“Willingly,” answered the dog, “but how to do it?”
- Lie down and stretch your legs as if you were dead. I’ll tell the fox about this and start pecking you in front of his eyes, and you lie there like a log and don’t move; then he will come to you and you will strangle him.
The dog willingly agreed to this deal. The blackbird flew up to the fox and said to him:
“You obviously don’t know anything, kumanek.” A farm dog lies in the meadow and stretches out its legs. Now she really is dead. I pecked at her, and she didn’t do anything to me.
When the fox approached, the blackbird began to peck at the dog in front of his eyes, but the dog did not even move.
- Yeah! - exclaimed the fox. “We’ll finally get rid of her; Just before I eat her, I’ll urinate down her throat.
But the minute the fox raised his paw, the dog clung to him so tightly that the fox came to an end. The blackbird said to the dog:
“You comforted me greatly by avenging my chicks.” I'll have to give you a treat for your efforts. Here comes a peasant woman, she brings lunch to the threshers. Just look what I'll do.
The blackbird hopped along the path, dragging his leg like a wounded man. The peasant woman ran up to grab him, he hobbled faster.
- What a beautiful thrush! - said the old farmer. - He won't get far. I will catch it and give it to my little Jeanne, because she loves birds so much.
The farmer put the bundle on the ground and began to catch the blackbird, which was deliberately leading her away. At this time the dog ate the threshers' lunch.
When she returned, the peasant woman found nothing on the road.
“What should I do now,” said the saddened woman, “my bundle was stolen from me!”
So that the workers would not scold too much, she decided to appease them.
“Oh, my dears,” she said, “don’t be angry with me because I didn’t bring you lunch.” I ran after the blackbird and wanted to catch it, but at that time someone stole my bundle.
- Don't tell us tales! - the threshing men shouted. “We’ll quit your job and leave.”
“You’re an old pretender,” added another, “and you’re not ashamed to lie at your age!” I would have cracked you in the neck with a pitchfork!
“Look,” the farmer’s wife shouted, “there’s this bird, there it is on the lek!.. Now it’s landed on my shoulder!”
Then one of the thresher swung to hit the blackbird with his flail, but instead hit the mistress in the neck. It was so lucky that it stretched across the current to its full length!
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru